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Whitecourt Wolverines

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The Whitecourt Wolverines are a junior "A" ice hockey team in the North Division of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) based in Whitecourt , Alberta, Canada. The 2012–13 season was their inaugural season in Whitecourt.

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58-554: The Wolverines were founded on May 2, 2012, through the relocation of the St. Albert Steel from St. Albert . The team plays out of JDA Place, which has a seating capacity of 1,058. JDA Ventures Ltd. is the sponsor of the arena. The Whitecourt Wolverines junior "A" franchise was originally established for the 1976–77 season as the Fort Saskatchewan Traders . The Traders won their first AJHL championship in 1978–79, their third year in

116-596: A career in the National League: Gordie Howe , Guy Lafleur and Mario Lemieux . Chris Pronger and Shea Weber were inducted in 2015 and 2024 while still technically active players; Pronger and Weber were under contract with the Philadelphia Flyers and the Utah Hockey Club at the time of their induction. Pronger's contract expired after the 2016–17 season and Weber's contract will expire after

174-505: A deep dive into the history of the women's game and features stories and artifacts beginning with the earliest days of women's hockey and continuing through to the PWHL. As of 2009, new members can be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as players, builders or on-ice officials. The builders' category includes coaches, general managers , commentators, team owners and others who have helped build

232-643: A former president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). Sutherland sought to establish it in Kingston, Ontario as he believed that the city was the birthplace of hockey. In 1943, the NHL and CAHA reached an agreement that a Hall of Fame would be established in Kingston. Originally called the "International Hockey Hall of Fame", its mandate was to honour great hockey players and to raise funds for

290-542: A level comparable to those players usually selected for induction. His candidacy led to many debates among hockey fans and columnists. Conn Smythe served as the Hall's chairman for several years, but resigned in June 1971 when Harvey "Busher" Jackson was posthumously elected into the Hall. Smythe said that it made him sick to think of Jackson alongside such Toronto Maple Leafs players as "Apps, Primeau, Conacher, Clancy and Kennedy. If

348-737: A look at how hockey broadcasting works and allows users to record messages that may be displayed on both the Hockey Hall of Fame's website, and the TSN/RDS networks. While many of the Hall of Fame exhibits are dedicated to the NHL, there is a large section devoted to hockey leagues and players outside North America. On June 29, 1998, the World of Hockey Zone opened. It is a 6,000 square feet (600 m ) area dedicated to international hockey, including World and Olympic competition and contains profiles on all International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) member countries. The IIHF agreed to transfer its exhibits from

406-442: A maximum of two women can be inducted as players per year. The by-law also clarifies that a builder does not need to have been a coach, manager or executive to be inducted. Although they remain separate categories, the builders and on-ice officials are considered on the same ballot and a combined maximum of two can be inducted each year. The board of directors will now meet at least once every five years to consider potential changes to

464-644: A new Hall of Fame building in Toronto, and Frank J. Selke was named managing director of the project. The temporary Hockey Hall of Fame opened as an exhibit within Canada's Sports Hall of Fame at Exhibition Place in August 1958, and 350,000 people visited it during the 1958 CNE fair. Due to the success of the exhibit, NHL and CNE decided that a permanent home in the Exhibition Place was needed. The NHL agreed to fully fund

522-581: A notable inductee in 1989, Valeri Kharlamov was inducted in 2005, and is one of the few other modern-day inductees to never play in the NHL. The Hall of Fame has also been criticized for overlooking World Hockey Association players and overrepresenting the Original Six era from 1942 to 1967. For several years, the Hall of Fame was criticized for overlooking female hockey players before the Hall of Fame announced that women would be given separate consideration. In 2010, Angela James and Cammi Granato were

580-606: A permanent location. The first nine "honoured members" (players Hobey Baker , Charlie Gardiner , Eddie Gerard , Frank McGee , Howie Morenz , Tommy Phillips , Harvey Pulford , Hod Stuart and Georges Vezina ) were inducted on April 30, 1945, although the Hall of Fame still did not have a permanent home. The first board of governors included hockey executives Red Dutton , Art Ross , Frank Sargent , and Lester Patrick ; and journalists Abbie Coo , Wes McKnight , Basil O'Meara , J. P. Fitzgerald , and W. A. Hewitt . Kingston lost its most influential advocate as permanent site of

638-718: A provincial title, and a bronze medal at the Keystone Cup , this junior "B" predecessor team folded to make way for the relocated junior "A" Wolverines. The Jr. A Wolverines played their first game on September 14, 2012, in a 4–2 loss to the Canmore Eagles on the road, with Colton Meaver scoring the Wolverines' first goal. The team would win their first game the next day against the Okotoks Oilers in overtime. Their first home had an over-capacity attendance of 1,283 on September 21. By

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696-512: A subcategory was established for female players. The builders' category includes coaches , general managers , commentators, team owners and others who have helped build the game. Honoured members are inducted into the Hall of Fame in an annual ceremony held at the Hall of Fame building in November, which is followed by a special " Hockey Hall of Fame Game " between the Toronto Maple Leafs and

754-485: A visiting team. As of May 2024 , 299 players (including ten women), 115 builders and 16 on-ice officials have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame has been criticized for focusing mainly on players from the National Hockey League and largely ignoring players from other North American and international leagues. The Hockey Hall of Fame was established through the efforts of James T. Sutherland ,

812-546: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame (French: Temple de la renommée du hockey ) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto , Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey , it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and NHL trophies , including the Stanley Cup . Founded in Kingston, Ontario ,

870-560: Is allowed to nominate one person in each category per year. Nominations must be submitted to the chairman of the board of directors by April 15 of the nomination year. The committee then meets in June where a series of secret ballot votes is held; any player with the support of 75% of the members of the committee present is inducted. If the maximum number of players does not receive 75% after the first round of voting, then run-off votes are held. Players with less than 50% are dropped from consideration for that year and voting continues until either

928-860: Is knowledgeable about international hockey and one member who is knowledgeable about amateur hockey. Committee members are appointed by the Board of Directors to a three-year term. The terms of the committee members are staggered so that each year there are six newly appointed or reappointed members. As of November 2018, the selection committee includes: chairman John Davidson , James M. Gregory (Chairman Emeritus), and committee members David Branch , Brian Burke , Colin Campbell , Cassie Campbell-Pascall , Mark Chipman , Bob Clarke , Marc de Foy , Michael Farber , Ron Francis , Mike Gartner , Anders Hedberg , Jari Kurri , Igor Larionov , Pierre McGuire , Bob McKenzie , David Poile , and Luc Robitaille . Each committee member

986-480: Is operated as a non-profit business called the "Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum" (HHFM), independent of the National Hockey League. It was originally sponsored by the NHL and Hockey Canada and revenue is generated mainly through admissions. The Hockey Hall of Fame has 15 exhibit areas covering 60,000 square feet (5,600 m ). Visitors can view trophies, memorabilia and equipment worn by players during special games. The Esso Great Hall, described as "a Cathedral to

1044-651: The International Hockey Hall of Fame in Kingston, Ontario, to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998. The World of Hockey Zone is sponsored by Tissot . The zone includes the IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame honour roll, listing each inductee by country and year of enshrinement. Each national association member of the IIHF is represented in the collection of artifacts in the display, which includes many national team hockey jerseys . The World of Hockey also recognizes members of

1102-632: The Stanley Cup . The proceeds from the event, sponsored by Scott Safety, benefitted the Whitecourt Minor Hockey Association and the Whitecourt Girl Guides. St. Albert Steel The St. Albert Steel were an ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). They played in St. Albert , Alberta , Canada at Servus Place with a seating capacity of 2,044. The team relocated to Whitecourt in

1160-752: The Triple Gold Club , and displays memorabilia from the " Miracle on Ice " at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games . Other notable events included are the 1972 Summit Series , the men's and women's Ice Hockey World Championships, national-level hockey leagues in Europe, the Spengler Cup , the World Cup of Hockey , and the Canada Cup . A new addition to the World of Hockey is Women's Hockey: Celebrating Excellence. This exhibit takes

1218-576: The 2012 off-season to become the Whitecourt Wolverines . The Steel, relocated in 2007 from nearby Fort Saskatchewan where they were known as the Fort Saskatchewan Traders , were the second team to represent the City of St. Albert. The first team to represent the city was the St. Albert Saints , who relocated to Spruce Grove in 2004 to become the Spruce Grove Saints . On March 29, 2012, it

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1276-412: The 2025–26 season. The Hall of Fame amended its by-laws by introducing the "three-year waiting period", which made Pronger and Weber eligible for induction since they last played in 2011 and 2021, respectively. On March 31, 2009, the Hall of Fame announced new by-law additions which were implemented on January 1, 2010. Starting in 2010, male and female players are considered for induction separately and

1334-622: The AJHL approved a deal on March 15, 2007, to relocate the Traders to St. Albert for the 2007–08 season, ending the Traders' 31-year run in Fort Saskatchewan . The team was renamed the St. Albert Steel , and became the second AJHL team to represent the city of St. Albert, replacing the St. Albert Saints who left for Spruce Grove in 2004. After five years in St. Albert, it was announced on March 29, 2012, that

1392-609: The Ernie Love Trophy, awarded annually to the AJHL's scoring champion, in the team's first two seasons, respectively. Guertin accumulated 95 points in the inaugural 2012–13 season, while Mayor was the co-winner in the sophomore 2013–14 season, tying Spencer Dorowicz of the Olds Grizzlys with 75 points. Cameron Johnson is in the Whitecourt wolverines junior league same with Clover good Rioch In 2021 Brent Stark sold

1450-480: The Hall has been far too focused on the National Hockey League, that it is more of an "NHL Hall of Fame" than a general Hockey Hall of Fame. Partially in response to these claims, the Hall of Fame has hosted International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) exhibits and the IIHF Hall of Fame since 1998, and announced that it would start looking at more international players for induction. While Vladislav Tretiak had been

1508-564: The Hall of Fame as builders, including Foster Hewitt . The induction ceremony was held at the Hall of Fame from 1959 until 1974. In 1975, it was held at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto and would be held there until 1979. From 1980 to 1992, the ceremony was held at various different locations in Toronto, except for 1986, 1987 and 1991 when the ceremonies were held in Vancouver , Detroit and Ottawa respectively. Since 1993, it has been held at

1566-514: The Hockey Hall of Fame facilities underwent expansion. By 1986, the Hall of Fame was running out of room in its existing facilities and the board of directors decided that a new home was needed. The Hall vacated the Exhibition Place building in 1992, and its half was taken over by the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. (The building was eventually demolished; portion of its façade was preserved as an entrance to BMO Field stadium. Development of

1624-430: The Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1943 under the leadership of James T. Sutherland . The first class of honoured members was inducted in 1945, before the Hall of Fame had a permanent location. It moved to Toronto in 1958 after the NHL withdrew its support for the International Hockey Hall of Fame in Kingston, Ontario, due to funding issues. Its first permanent building opened at Exhibition Place in 1961. The hall

1682-511: The Hockey Hall of Fame when Sutherland died in 1955. By 1958, the Hockey Hall of Fame had still not raised sufficient funds to construct a permanent building in Kingston. Clarence Campbell , then President of the NHL, grew tired of waiting for the construction to begin and withdrew the NHL's support to situate the hall in Kingston. In January 1958, the NHL and the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) reached an agreement to establish

1740-400: The Wolverines to Cory Masse, a local businessman. For previous teams' records, see Fort Saskatchewan Traders and St. Albert Steel . Note: GP = games played, W = wins, L = losses, OTL = overtime losses, Pts = points, GF = goals for, GA = goals against, PIM = penalties in minutes The number 22 was retired for Elias Lachance at the start of the 2011–12 season. Lachance, who played for

1798-440: The Wolverines' predecessor junior "B" hockey team during its 2008–09 and 2009–10 seasons, died in a car accident in 2011. The Wolverines are engaged in two programs within the community under a "Team for Success" project where players mentor young students on reading and writing, and boys through issues experienced at the junior high level. During their inaugural season, the team hosted a Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit that featured

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1856-620: The amount of beer he drank". On March 30, 1993, it was announced that Gil Stein , who at the time had been president of the National Hockey League for nine months but had been overlooked for the new job of commissioner in favour of Gary Bettman , would be inducted into the Hall of Fame. There were immediate allegations that he had engineered his election through manipulation of the Hall's board of directors. Due to these allegations, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman hired two independent lawyers, Arnold Burns and Yves Fortier , to lead an investigation. They concluded that Stein had "improperly manipulated

1914-1028: The bank vault, an alcove off the Great Hall. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held in the Great Hall until it outgrew the space and moved to the Allan Lambert Galleria in Brookfield Place. The NHL Zone is a large area featuring displays relating to the NHL. Current teams and players are highlighted in the NHL Today area, while the NHL Retro displays include memorabilia and information about every NHL team past and present. The NHL Legends area features rotating exhibits focusing on honoured members; and NHL Milestones displays exhibits of noteworthy records including Darryl Sittler 's ten-point game and Wayne Gretzky 's all-time points record. The Stanley Cup dynasties exhibit features displays that include memorabilia from

1972-410: The building of the new facility on the grounds of Exhibition Place, and construction began in 1960. The first permanent Hockey Hall of Fame, which shared a building with the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, was opened on August 26, 1961, by Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker . Over 750,000 people visited the Hall in its inaugural year. Admission to the Hockey Hall of Fame was free until 1980, when

2030-523: The current Hall of Fame building. The ceremony was first broadcast by The Sports Network in 1994. In 1999 the "Hockey Hall of Fame game" was established, a contest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and a visiting team, with a special ceremony honouring that year's inductees held before the game. Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun reports that many, including Edmonton Oilers president Kevin Lowe , believe

2088-472: The end of October, the team had an 11–7–1 record and was ranked 14th in the national Junior A rankings by the Canadian Junior Hockey League . The team made the playoffs at the end of their first season with a fourth-place finish in the division. The Wolverines then advanced to the division finals where they lost to the Spruce Grove Saints . Wolverines' Mathieu Guertin and Colten Mayor each won

2146-758: The exhibit now contains several big ticket items including trophies from multiple North American leagues, artifacts from all Original Six arena's, and a full size Zamboni machine once used at the Boston Garden . Interactive displays are featured in the NHLPA Be A Player Zone. At the NHLPA Gametime , visitors take shots using real pucks at a computer simulation of goaltender Ed Belfour . Visitors can also take turns playing goaltender , blocking shots from computer simulations of players like Sidney Crosby , Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier . The TSN / RDS Broadcast Zone provides

2204-511: The first women to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. One of the most discussed potential nominees is Paul Henderson , who scored the winning goal in the final moments of the deciding eighth game of the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union. This is one of the best-known moments in hockey and Canadian sports history. While there is little question of the historical significance of that goal, Henderson's NHL statistics are not at

2262-428: The game during their career in hockey broadcasting". The voting for both awards is conducted by their respective associations. While media honourees are not considered full inductees, they are still honoured with a display at the Hockey Hall of Fame. The ceremonies associated with these awards are held separately from the induction of the members of the Hall of Fame. Some of the award winners have also been inducted into

2320-423: The game. The category for on-ice officials was added in 1961 and a "veteran player" category was established in 1988. The purpose of the category was to "provide a vehicle for players who may have been overlooked and whose chances for election would be limited when placed on the same ballot with contemporary players". Eleven players were inducted into that category, but in 2000, the Board of Directors eliminated it;

2378-461: The icons of Hockey", contains portraits and biographical information about every Hall of Fame honoured member. The centrepiece of the Great Hall is the Stanley Cup ; for part of the year a replica is put on display when the presentation cup travels outside of the Hall of Fame. The original version of the Cup and the older rings, as well as all of the current National Hockey League trophies , are displayed in

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2436-528: The induction ceremony should be held on a night when there are no NHL games scheduled. This would allow a more representative portion of the hockey world to attend. The Hall of Fame has been criticized for inducting several lacklustre candidates in the early 2000s decade due to "a shortage of true greatness". Since then, some have claimed that the Hall of Fame has become too exclusive. The Hall of Fame has also been criticized for failing to induct international players; critics re-emphasized, from 2005 to 2007, that

2494-746: The league. After winning the championship, the team then defeated the Richmond Sockeyes of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCJHL) in five games at the Doyle Cup , before falling to the Prince Albert Raiders in six games at the Abbott Cup , the eventual national champions at the 1979 Centennial Cup . The Traders won their second league championship in 1983–84. Due in part to financial difficulties and low attendance,

2552-594: The limits. There is also a category for "Media honourees". The Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award is awarded by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association to "distinguished members of the newspaper profession whose words have brought honour to journalism and to hockey". The Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is awarded by the NHL Broadcasters' Association to "members of the radio and television industry who made outstanding contributions to their profession and

2610-423: The maximum number of inductees is reached or all remaining nominees receive between 50% and 75%. In any given year, a maximum of four players, two builders, and one on-ice official are inducted as members. Player and on-ice officials must have not participated in a professional or international game for a minimum of three years to be eligible for nomination. Builders may be "active or inactive". The waiting period

2668-466: The new location in the BCE Place complex (now Brookfield Place ), featuring the former Bank of Montreal at the corner of Yonge and Front Streets in Toronto, began soon after. The design was by Frank Darling and S. George Curry . The new Hockey Hall of Fame officially opened on June 18, 1993. The new location has 4,700 m (50,600 sq ft) of exhibition space, seven times larger than that of

2726-414: The old facility. The Hockey Hall of Fame now hosts more than 300,000 visitors each year. The first curator of the new Hall of Fame was Bobby Hewitson . Following Hewitson's retirement in 1967, Lefty Reid was appointed to the position. Reid was curator of the Hockey Hall of Fame for the next 25 years, retiring in 1992. Following Reid's retirement, former NHL referee-in-chief Scotty Morrison , who

2784-445: The players who had been inducted under this category were merged into the player category. Candidates for membership in the Hockey Hall of Fame are nominated by an 18-person selection committee. The committee includes Hockey Hall of Fame members, hockey personnel and media personalities associated with the game; the membership is representative of "areas throughout the world where hockey is popular", and includes at least one member who

2842-421: The process" and "created the false appearance and illusion" that his nomination was the idea of Bruce McNall . They concluded that Stein pressured McNall to nominate him and had refused to withdraw his nomination when asked to do so by Bettman. There was a dispute over McNall's role and Stein was "categorical in stating that the idea was Mr. McNall's". They recommended that Stein's selection be overturned, but it

2900-565: The rosters of nine teams considered to be dynasties because they dominated the NHL for several years at a time. This area also has a replica of the Montreal Canadiens ' dressing room as it existed at the old Montreal Forum . The St. Louis Bar and Grill Arena Zone is dedicated to hockey across all levels of play in North America; it includes exhibits about various leagues and sections on women's and disabled hockey leagues. Newly renovated,

2958-411: The standards are going to be lowered I'll get out as chairman of the board." Jackson was notorious for his off-ice lifestyle of drinking and broken marriages. Smythe would not condone the induction and even tried to block it because he considered Jackson a poor role model. Frank J. Selke , head of the selection committee, defended the selection on the belief that a man should not be shut out "because of

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3016-590: The team applied to relocate to Whitecourt for the 2012–13 season. On May 2, 2012, the move was approved and the team would remain in the AJHL's North Division as the Whitecourt Wolverines. The twice relocated franchise took its team name from the then-current junior "B" Whitecourt Wolverines of the North West Junior Hockey League (NWJHL). After five years in the NWJHL, four league championships,

3074-448: The team to Parkland Hockey Group affiliated with Craig Kibblewhite and Jason Fischer. In the Spring of 2024 an application was made to move the team to Devon, Alberta. Brent Stark exercised an option he had retained in the sale and reacquired the team. Parkland Hockey Group then applied for and was granted an expansion franchise for Devon. A couple of weeks later the AJHL approved the sale of

3132-603: Was announced the team applied to relocate to Whitecourt for the 2012-13 season. On May 3, 2012, the AJHL announced that it approved the relocation of the Steel to Whitecourt to become the Whitecourt Wolverines , taking their name from the simultaneously disbanded junior "B" Whitecourt Wolverines of the North West Junior Hockey League . Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T/OTL = Ties/Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against This Canadian ice hockey team-related article

3190-489: Was relocated in 1993, and is now in Downtown Toronto , inside Brookfield Place , and a historic Bank of Montreal building. The Hockey Hall of Fame has hosted International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) exhibits and the IIHF Hall of Fame since 1998. An 18-person committee of players, coaches and others meets annually in June to select new honourees, who are inducted as players, builders or on-ice officials. In 2010,

3248-549: Was revealed Stein had decided to turn down the induction before their announcement. In 1989, Alan Eagleson , a longtime executive director of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), was inducted as a builder. He resigned nine years later from the Hall after pleading guilty to mail fraud and embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the NHLPA pension funds. His resignation came six days before

3306-413: Was the president of the Hockey Hall of Fame since 1986, was appointed curator. Morrison supervised the relocation of the Hall of Fame and its exhibits. The current curator is Phil Pritchard. The Hockey Hall of Fame is led by Lanny McDonald , Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Denomme. McDonald will be succeeded by Mike Gartner when his term expires in June 2025. The Hall of Fame

3364-555: Was waived for ten players deemed exceptionally notable; Dit Clapper (1947), Maurice Richard (1961), Ted Lindsay (1966), Red Kelly (1969), Terry Sawchuk (1971), Jean Beliveau (1972), Gordie Howe (1972), Bobby Orr (1979), Mario Lemieux (1997), and Wayne Gretzky (1999). Following Gretzky's induction, the Board of Directors determined that the waiting period would no longer be waived for any player except under "certain humanitarian circumstances". Three Hall of Fame members came out of retirement after their induction and resumed

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